Struggle Eternal
by Lightgazer
Summary: This is a FaytNel story with an attempt to fill the many plot holes in Star Ocean: Till the End of Time.


**Authors Notes-**

**Disclaimer-  All characters related to Star Ocean: Till the End of Time belong to Square/Enix and Tri-Ace.  I am merely indulging my imagination.  **

**This is the first time in my life I ever sat down and wrote something that was not required of me during my school days.  I really hope things can work out with my story and I felt Star Ocean 3 had a perfect foundation to start becoming a writer.  There are so many plot holes in Star Ocean 3 that were all begging to be filled in.  So yes I will try to answer for you all the mysterious of the plot.**

**What I want to know is did I keep the characters in touch with the reader?  I made painstaking attempts to avoid OOC and would like to know if I did that.  Note however, that while I want to keep the characters in touch with you all....I am no fan of static characters.  I loved stories that I have read that held dramatic characters that went through their own internal hell's and pain's.  While I intend to keep the characters preserved I will put them through conflicts, but trust me....I will give good reasons for it.  I just need to know if I accomplished this two-fold task or not.**

**This story is geared for Fayt and Nel, in which I felt were the game's true couple.  Albel will also be a big part of the story and as for Adray......I am still in the process of finding a place for him.  You'll notice a simularity between the first scene and the Fayt/Nel ending.  Do not attribute this to a lack of imagination, but I wanted to give my own interpretation of that rather subtle ending.**

**Just let me know where I can fix things.  I am still writing more, but it would greatly help for some feedback at this point.**

**Hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

At long last, she finally made it over the last mountain top and there in front of her were the Irisa Fields. Most would have marveled at its beauty, the vast green fields went on almost endlessly decorated with clusters of trees that occasionally surrounded the various ponds. That plus the wildlife that roamed around just made the fields a good place to just take a stroll. None of that mattered however, to this young women as she starting running across it. Her lungs were on fire, burning from the inside out like an inferno, yet she kept running. Her feet could barley carry her anymore as she moved across the endless field, yet she kept running. Her only immediate concerns were possible trees that might get in front of her for they would definitely halt her progress, other than that nothing else mattered besides what she knew she had to do. So long a ways......so long......but ran she did and certainly did not look back.

* * *

_You never know where you're going to end up in life._

As Fayt Leingod stood in the balcony overlooking the courtyard of Aquios Castle that was being basked in the late-afternoon sun, he couldn't help but wonder how true his father's saying was. Indeed, there was nothing anyone could have told him that would convince him of the events that would ultimately bring him to a serene setting such as this. The courtyard below him was a sea of green grass that was intersected by stone paths, with luscious trees set at random intervals. Fountains covered the four corners of the walls and the center was highlighted by a sparkling pond that was being fed by the nearby lake. The flow of the water, as it gushed along the pathways throughout the palace, gave a gentle sort of sound to the place that Fayt would never tire of.

It had been several weeks since Fayt and his friends decided to go against a much stronger flow and defy the Creator, the one who made the universe and everything around them. Such a sin it must be, to go against that which had created you, to go against his will. Yes, most people would think of what they did as _the_ unforgivable sin.

Of course Fayt, who knew the real truth, couldn't help but laugh. In actuality their world was but a mere video game, created by the beings of 4D space for their amusement. Their lives and the events that transpired around them were but meant to entertain people who were bored after a hard day of work. Their "Creator" was nothing more than an ambitious computer programmer who had undoubtedly lost his mind and was intent on destroying their galaxy and deleting what he considered "bugs". As they confronted him his insanity showed no bounds when at the push of a button he deleted their world, and in his sick twisted mind, the inhabitants as well. It was the fact that this all wasn't just a program, that everyone who lived here was in fact as real as anyone else in 4D space, that kept the homes, the worlds, and the stars in existence. Luther's incalculable error in not acknowledging their existence had ultimately freed them from bondage.

With the ultimate threat passed them and their universe Fayt and his friends just wanted to go back home and pick up their lives again. Yet Fayt , who had lived on Earth his whole life, had no desire to return to the worlds of technology. His experiences on Elicoor II, while wrought with danger and death, had also showed him how beautiful life could really be. It showed him that life was not all about replicating food and hooking your brain to some video game for enjoyment. He could actually breathe the air and not smell the stench of waste or the re-used smell of processed air aboard a star ship. So when the _Diplo_ made its final stop to drop off their fellow Elicoorians, Fayt surprised everyone by deciding to stay with them. Surprised as they were they all understood, even Sophia who while disappointed was just glad to see Fayt happy again since his father had been killed. Fayt knew Sophia would be ok and its not like she can't come down for a visit every now and then. After saying their goodbyes Fayt left the _Diplo_ and in a sense his former life. He then choose to live in Aquios Castle.

There wasn't much said between him and Albel in their parting words, of course speaking in any social sense was never his strong suit.

"We _will_ meet again Fayt, I promise.", Those were Albel's only words and he then turned west toward the mountains of Airyglyph. He had actually called him by his name and not some derogatory term like "fool" or "worm". Perhaps Albel had gained a sort of respect for him or maybe, just maybe, he was actually beginning to change.....he had hoped for the latter. Fayt knew exactly what Albel meant by meeting again. They had a score to settle and Albel will certainly be training himself for that day of reckoning just as Fayt was. He did not know when that day would come, but Fayt felt he would be ready.

Adray was ecstatic that Fayt was staying.

"You made the right choice to stay Fayt because quite frankly you've been living life too easy. All those _machines_ doing the work a man ought to be doing with his bare hands! Maybe after a while of living here you won't be so soft, HAHAHAHAHA!!! Adray then exclaiming his point by patting Fayt in the back so hard he almost fell over.

With the peace between Airyglyph and Aquios, Queen Aquaria and King Airyglyph thought it best that they unite their militaries, to not only help in the short term recovery of having most of them wiped out, but to also to finalize their alliance. Adray was headed with the task to train this new military unit that would try to combine the use of Aquios's runeology and Airyglyph's air dragons. Adray decided to use the disbanded Black Brigade's Kirlsa Training Facility as their headquarters for this new military unit and was currently getting them oriented. Fayt wondered how hard Adray must be making their lives right now.......

The familiar clang of a sword broke him from his trance and his hand immediately darted for the hilt of his own sword only to find open air.

_Damn it where did I leave it? Yes, against the nightstand!! _Fayt's thoughts were flying.

His forward momentum ended before it began however, once he realized where the sound originated. Looking down into the courtyard he saw, in one of the open clearings between the rows of trees, several women of the Secret Legion engaged in a sparring session. As he let out a shuddered breathe he had to admit.....

He was getting better.

He had been overcome by these shakes, as he called them, since they returned. Fayt figured that most people in their first combat experiences tended to feel a little shaken. As a 19 year-old being thrust head first into war it was certainly an experience he was taking a little time to get over. But he _was_ getting better because for his first few days here he had nearly cleaved Farleen in half when the sound of a vase being knocked over by a Runeologist had startled him.

He took a harder look through the trees which blocked some of the other women who were training and the speck of red which flashed through told him it was Nel before he saw her burst into view. Not just coming into view of course, but walking over to give one of her subordinates a rather harsh reprimand from the looks of it. Still favoring the uniform layout of most members of the Secret Legion, a black short-sleeved tunic covered her torso, a blue scarf covered all of her neck and, if she tilted her head down, most of her face. She wore black leggings and padded gloves that went the length of her elbow. Her hair was as red as a freshly picked apple and was chopped just short of her shoulder blades.  Her eyes a light hint of violet.  If Fayt could choose one word to describe Nel it would certainly be _workaholic. _Nel's loyalty to her country was second to none and her sense of duty was quite possibly stronger than the marbled balcony upon which he stood. Unfortunately it was so strong that her very movements were not her own, but in fact the will and whim of the Queen's. Heck the first day they got back from saving the _freaking_ universe, the first thing she does instead of taking at least a nap, was to see if the double ring of guards around the palace were where they should be. Another problem was this undying loyalty made her very difficult to read because she kept her emotions to herself. Never wanting to seem satisfied and always finding something to do even when everything seemed ok. Just as Fayt had to get past the shakes, he promised himself when he got here that he would help Nel care about the one thing she never has cared about before.......Nel.

Fayt had had enough of thinking for now and decided to see how things were going down there. A cautious Fayt who once existed on the hotel resort of Hyda IV might have used the stairs to get down to the courtyard, but the man he was now instead choose to climb down the green vines that crawled along the walls like snakes. Hopping down onto the green grass Fayt walked over to where the women continued to train.

* * *

                

_Amazing how complacent people can get when you leave for a while._

Nel Zelpher was playing this thought through her head as the sparring session reached its second hour. Her father would undoubtedly be rolling in his grave if he saw how soft these women were when compared to the professional soldiers he had trained so many years ago. It wasn't as if they were worthless for there was much potential to be had here. Samantha, a black-haired women with brown eyes was very quick, but to overeager to commit and had a lot to learn about patience. Joaana to her left, who had very stunning blue eyes, did not embrace a very stunning combat style. She favored this huge claymore that was obviously too large for her frame and it showed every time she telegraphed where she meant to swing. She could spell out the problems of all the women present and knew if they had to go to war today there would be some serious trouble. However, things were _not _going to stay as they were, not if Nel had anything to say about it.

As she was about to tell Sinna that her stance was all wrong she caught a sliver of movement to her right and looked to see that Samantha was waving in the opposite direction Nel was facing. As she looked back to her task she heard her yell out...

"Hey Fayt!!!!"

Her reprimand stuck in her throat she snapped her head back and indeed walking toward her was Fayt. Just from the way he was walking spoke so much of how he changed since she met him. The timidness that once existed was erased forever...burned away from the fires of war. In his short time here he decided to don a somewhat different wardrobe. He wore a black loose-fitting long-sleeved tunic, which he choose to zip up to his collar with white padded gloves on both hands and while he choose to still wear the same type of padded leggings she had provided him when they first met he had chosen a darker brown version to match his tunic. His eyes were a deep green and his hair was a dark sea of blue. He definitely surprised everyone by choosing to stay here on Elicoor II and living here in Aquios Castle, but she had no problems with that and realized it might be a good thing that he stay. From a necessity stand-point he could be very helpful in training the soldiers and having the savior of their world living in the Sacred City of Aquios would do wonders for the morale of the people after a shaky war.

_But that's not why you want him to stay is it????!!!!  _Nel thoughts blurted out.

"Nel...hey Nel you there?" Fayt was standing in front of her snapping his fingers.

Pushing the thought from her head, "Oh hey Fayt, sorry I was thinking of something....about what Sinna was doing."

Shaking his head Fayt said, "Of course, we must soooooo concentrate on our job." He was flashing one his half-smirks.

"Yes, that we must....so Fayt what can I do for you?" Nel's coolness returning once again.

Fayt gave a mock-hurt look, "I see we are all business as usual."

"Well....not sure what your expecting?" Nel said as she gave him a wary look.

_You know what he is expecting!!!!  _Her thoughts cried out.

Fayt gave a look around at the other women doing their sparring with either blunted down blades or wooden sticks which simulated swords, "I was just seeing how things were going today." He gave Nel a quick once over, "I see once again you are hardly being worked when beating on your subordinates."

Nel looked over to Sinna, "They still need a lot of work."

Sinna looked to Fayt, "We're not good enough yet to give Lady Nel a workout, but we are getting better."

Fayt once again giving his little half-smirk said, "Oh reeeally, well I guess this is a problem that must be remedied now won't it?" Reaching over to his left he grabbed one of the longer wooden sticks which simulated long swords, his weapon of choice. Staring Nel in the eye he said, "Well how about it? I didn't have a chance to workout yesterday so I might as well kill two birds with one stone."

Nel countered Fayt with one of her own smirks, "Only if you don't mind not being able to walk for the rest of the day." Walking over to the rack of wooden weapons she grabbed two shorter sticks which simulated short swords, her own weapons of choice.

The activity around them grounded to a halt as the other women stood back in a semi-circle and watched as both Fayt and Nel set themselves at a distance of twenty feet apart.

Fayt assumed an En Garde position, as did Nel, and for a few seconds they merely stared at each other. Fayt knew she would not attack initially for that was not her style. She used her short swords in a more defensive manner and would rather let an over-anxious attacker come charging madly in so she could deflect the blows with her short swords and proceed to tear them apart. Of course he was not going to stand there all day so he figured he might as well make the first move.

Taking a quick deep breathe he ran forward. Keeping the hilt of his sword close to his chest to not allow her to read his move he made a quick lateral cut that was aimed for her left arm. She would not be falling for such easy attacks and stopped the blow with her left sword. In the same motion she pivoted on her right foot and used that momentum to deflect Fayt's blade with her right sword and that was not all for following her deflecting blow was her left leg aimed directly at Fayt's chest. Fayt seeing this at the last moment immediately stuck his right leg out and knocked her roundhouse back. As she came back around she attempted a slash aimed at Fayt's head, but he took a step back avoiding the blow.

Deciding to take advantage of Fayt's retreat Nel made her own charge only she took to the air in one big front flip that brought both her blades down in an overhand chop. Instead of deflecting the blow Fayt grabbed both her wrists as she came down and fell backwards to the ground and placing his foot on her belly he kicked her upwards using her own momentum against her. Fayt immediately pushed himself up on his feet to find Nel was still standing on her's.

Fayt, abandoning any concept of finesse, came at her with a flurry of quick jabs hoping to find a gap and score a hit, but he knew he was dreaming as she parried every blow he could muster. He was however, making her give ground so he decided to keep at it because ten feet away there was a tree and he would then hopefully make her bump into it. As Nel was two feet away from the tree she disengaged from Fayt and jumped forward on the tree trunk. Using it as a spring board she performed a somersault over Fayt's head to come in from behind. Fayt seeing this went low and attempted a sweep to catch her legs as she landed.

He connected perfectly, barley allowing her feet to touch the ground, but instead of falling on her back_side_ she turned her fall into a one-handed back_flip _that set her on her feet. Suppressing a sigh Fayt continued the charge.

* * *

Nel could only marvel at the improvements Fayt had gone through with his body as well as his mind in their time together. She remembered when he could barley make the trip from Airyglyph to Kirlsa without passing out, yet here he was taking her head on as if he had been fighting his whole life. The fight had gone on for ten more minutes with Nel scoring several quick hits, but Fayt kept reminding her that he was not to be underestimated (the bruises later proved that) with a few blows of his own. When Nel finally called a hault they were both breathing _very_ heavily and they were both perpsperating more than the fountains, in the corners of the courtyard, were spewing water.

"I....must say Fayt....you've gotten a lot better." Nel more breathed than said.

"Yeah....and you certainly show....why you're the Crimson Blade." Fayt had also more breathed than said.

Nel looked over to her subordinates. "We're done for today, you all get yourselves cleaned up and get some rest." she said normally as she was regaining her breathe. As the other women were dispersing and whispering to each other about what they just witnessed she walked over and placed the practice swords back on the rack.

Fayt, following Nel's lead, returned his wooden sword back to the rack. He looked around and gave a tired yawn, "So what about you Nel, you going get some rest too?."

Nel looked over to Fayt and said, "I have a lot of work to do this evening and I don't have much time to sit around"

Fayt gave her a wary look, "Nel, you can't honestly run this whole place by yourself, there is a reason you have subordinates you know........

"_Subordinates_ who are not very well trained to delegate tasks too yet." Nel interrupted. "I'd appricate it if you'd not give me another lecture on how to do my job."

"I'm not trying to lecture you on anything Nel.", Fayt pleaded, "But all you do is work yourself to death, I'm worried that your not feeling all right."

Looking Fayt straight in the eye Nel said, "I'm _alright_ Fayt, quit worrying, your worse than Clair."

_No, your not alright!!!!! _Nel screamed to herself.

"I'll see you at the dinning hall tonight won't I?  I just haven't seen much of you this past week and hoped we could catch up." Fayt said.

"Well yes of course I'll have to eat eventually won't I?"  Nel saying it in a tone that a mother might say to a 10-year old.

"Uhhh yeah I know....its just that....oh never mind. I'll see you later Nel." Fayt then walked back to the castle proper where his room was.

Nel stared at Fayt for a few moments before she herself turned back to her own room to get ready for this evening's events.

_You are a fool Nel!!!!_

_A fool......_

_A fool......_

The thought did not fade from her mind as she walked through the castle.

* * *

After cleaning up in the bathhouse Fayt went back his room to change for dinner that evening. While still favoring the black tunic he had taken off the padding that outlined his pants for a more casual feel. _Sitting in your armor is not very comfortable, _Fayt reflected.

A few minutes later Fayt walked into the dinning hall of Aquios Castle and while having seen it everyday he still could not help but marvel at it. A high-ceilinged doomed room which had the most polished marble imaginable. So polished it was that it practically amplified the lighting that consisted of orbs of fire made by the Runeologists. Those orbs were placed on opposite sides of each of the ten pillars which ran along both sides of room.  The domed ceiling had painted on it various religious icons of the Church of Apris. There were two very long rectangular tables that ran along the entire dinning hall where the soldiers stationed in the castle ate and there was a shorter rectangular table which connected both of the longer tables at the opposite end of the room which was where the Queen and other dignitaries sat. In the center of this nearly completed rectangle was a circular stone base. On top of this base was depicted an Angelic figure that Fayt recognized as Elena the Goddess of Light. From what little he knew of the winged Angel, that was holding a sword high into the air, was that she was meant to inspire soldiers to push on and fight. Recent events only proved to Fayt that ones believe's can give you all the inspiration you need to fight and die for your country.

It seemed that everyone was already occupied and merely awaiting the arrival of the Queen before the meal started. Fayt walked over to the far end of the right table to the point where it connected to the Queen's table. Fayt sat down in the rather large wooden chair and waited with everyone else for the Queen to arrive.

Fifteen minutes had passed and Fayt began contemplating getting up to see what was going on, but before he could put the thought to action Lasselle, the Queen's personal advisor, stepped into the room.

Lasselle waved his hands into the air and curtly announced, "I am sorry everyone, but the Queen will be a little late for this evening's meal and she has asked that you all start without her." After that he left the room at a pace that was a little disconcerting to Fayt.

A wave of groans and snide comments went along the rows of soldiers and Fayt knew it had nothing to do with the fact the Queen was going to be late. It was no secret that Lasselle was not very liked and that his position was obtained due to the fact that his predecessor General Nevvelle, Nel's father, had been killed in battle with Airyglyph soldiers. His overbearing attitude, and from what Fayt believed was a "holier than thou" complex, had generally made him rather disliked by most who met him. Fayt certainly had no love for the man either. Despite his misgivings he figured he might as well eat as he saw the chefs bring in a rather tasty looking soup. He sat back and waited to be served.

Halfway through the soup he noticed that everyone was standing up and he followed suit because he knew why. Queen Romeria Zin Emurille the XXVII Queen of Aquaria walked, almost floated, into the room followed by Lasselle and several other dignitaries. She donned a very long loose-fitting robe of silk that was slightly above the ground. Her face was very smooth and elegant and was very pale in comparison to the dark-set runeological tattoo that was on her forehead. This particular symbol represented the Holy Mother of Apris who had the ability to see the very fabric of runeology itself. Her soft, modulated voice told all around her she was one to be respected. Once they were all seated everyone else took their seats and resumed their meal. Fayt dully noted that Nel's seat which was 4 seats down from the Queen's left was unoccupied.

**"**_Figures", _Fayt thought, "_I wonder what assignment they got her doing now?"_

Fayt figured wondering about it, like he always used to do, was not going to do any good so he might as well ask. Standing up in his seat he said, "Your Majesty how are you doing this evening?"

The Queen looked up to Fayt and a small smile crossed her face, "I'm doing quite well Fayt and how are you doing?"

Fayt kept his look straight in the Queens lightly hinted red eyes, "I'm doing fine as well your Majesty, I just wanted to ask you why Nel was not sitting here tonight.

Lasselle snorted, "I don't think you need to know....

"Fayt has everyone right to know Lasselle", the Queen said firmly and added before he could apologize, "Nel is inquiring as to the whereabouts of the Emissaries we sent to Greeton a week ago. It is a two-day horse ride from here to Greeton and they were only instructed to stay for a day at most. That means with four days left with only needing two to get back it means they are several days late. Due to the bad weather that has stricken the area lately we figured their carriages were delayed, but Nel volunteered to find out what was the cause of their delay. She left a few hours ago to stay at Peterny and she intends to make way for Greeton tomorrow.

_Volunteered? _The word scrolled across Fayt's brain.

Fayt tried all he could to suppress a sigh, but he did not go unnoticed by the Queen, "I'm sure she will return soon, the weather was pretty bad given the latest news from Peterny so we figured she would run into the emissaries on their way back."

He nodded and bowed, "Yes, I'm sure she will be fine, thank you your majesty and if you will excuse me." Fayt made his around his chair and toward the exit. "I think I will go to rest early tonight."

* * *

Sleep did not come easy for Fayt that night because he couldn't keep his mind off Nel. He was getting real worried about all the work she was putting herself through. He didn't think it was healthy for her to be putting the load of an entire kingdom on her shoulders because eventually the load was going to be too much. Was she ever going to live at least a normal life where she could be happy....

_With who........_

Shaking his head Fayt got rid of the thought. He thought of her as a good friend, but every time he even attempted to get to know her better she become extremely apprehensive. It was almost as if she didn't like him or something.

But he knew that wasn't the case. She was very distant with everyone because of her duty to her country and while it was easy to work with her, getting close at all was impossible due to that steel encased shell she had deliberately put around herself. But no, Fayt didn't think it would get that close between them....she was 4 years older than him anyway and while she did need to lighten up she still had a job to do and would never have time for someone like him. She had even proclaimed, rather loudly, in the chapel before their trek to the Mosel Dunes that there was no one special in her life. No, Fayt didn't think anything could possibly happen given the circumstances.

_You knuckle head._

Fayt jerked in his bed. He could have sworn he heard Cliff's voice just now. He was probably just imagining things, a sign that he needs to get a little sleep. Closing his eyes once more it still took a while, but sleep eventually took him.

* * *

The rushing sound of footsteps outside his closed door awoke him from his light sleep. Fayt sat up in his bed and took a quick look out the window. From the looks of things it was still early in the morning, probably not too long from sunrise, but the flurry of activity suggested otherwise. He probably was not going to get any more sleep anyway so he might as well see what's going on. Donning his brown pad-less pants and black tunic he made his way to where he heard all the commotion.

The castle, which was normally a gleaming white in the day time, was a deep sea of red at night as the various Runeologist torches placed along the pillars emitted their glow.

At the front entrance of the castle there had gathered a somewhat large crowd of about twenty people. Fayt steered his way to the front of the crowd to see about 3 Runeologists tending to a young women that had collapsed by the enormous double doors. The woman looked like a member of the Secret Legion.

Or at least someone who might resemble someone of the Secret Legion for the women lying there was in such shambles she barley looked alive. Her clothing was cut in all places, he noted there were at least three impromptu bandages that had covered nasty slash wounds. Her face was so covered in cuts and bruises that identifying her at that moment looked impossible because no one was certainly saying names.

One of the Runeologists yelled, "Damn it will you people get out of the way so we can get her to a bed!!!!!" Fayt and the others cleared a path to the let the Runeologists carry the hurt women to the nearest available room.

After about 20 minutes, in which Fayt felt the doctors had handled all the critical work, he went in to check on her. She was, as Fayt expected, asleep in the bed. The doctors were still cleaning up her bruised face when he walked over to the Runeologists standing off to the side.

"How is she?" Fayt asked.

The doctor let out a heavy sigh, "Aside from extreme exhaustion most of her damage was cosmetic in nature so I believe she will make a full recovery. Her face was just so badly mangled that it was hard to tell who she was. We just started to clean the wounds and should know in a few minutes."

Fayt grimly nodded and just stood and watched as the doctors continued to perform their work. One of the hand maidens had walked in with a fresh bowl of water and was about to walk out when she caught a glance at the woman on the bed.

"Ahhhhhhh!!! Susan!!!!!!" she shrieked.

The doctor Fayt had talked to put a hand on her shoulder to calm her down, "Ok calm down, I must ask you, what was your friend Susan doing....where was she last?"

Catching her breathe in one long huff at a time, she more blurted than said, "She was with the Emissaries the Queen sent to Greeton!!!" The doctor said something else to her, but Fayt did not hear it, in fact he did not hear anything.

_Nel is on her way there.......and she knows nothing about it. _Fayt stomach was rolling at the thought.

He was starting to feel faint.  Using the table for balance he could not believe it.

_Not again, why.......why does it have to happen again!!!!!????  _His thoughts were crying out.

Letting out a silent scream Fayt tried to bend the small table in half and instead settled for smashing his fist on it.

"Nel knows the risks of her job.", a calm voice said from behind Fayt.

"You think I care about that!!!!????" Fayt screamed as he turned toward the voice at the door and standing there was Queen Aquaria.

"Ah your majesty......I...I'm sorry I didn't....." Fayt stuttered.

"No, no Fayt it's quite alright. Your concerned for Nel's safety and I understand that.", the queen said as she glided into the room followed by Lasselle.

Fayt looked at the Queen and in a normal tone asked, "So what do we plan on doing about it? Greeton obviously does not seem very friendly and Nel is walking into their land."

To his annoyance Laaselle replied, "There is nothing we can do at present. Yes, we could induce that Greeton reacted with hostility, but until we ascertain that we can't very well march troops over to their border. We still don't even know what happened and you want to risk a major incident over such little evidence?"

Fayt's annoyance had reached its breaking point. "How much more evidence do you _need_!!?? Do you need the Greeton army marching at the front gate or do you honestly think members of the Secret Legion could be bested by mere bandits? I swear you..."

The Queen held up her hand and Fayt left the rest of his retort unsaid. "While I agree action must be taken we can't act hastily. If there is indeed a threat from Greeton we must keep all available soldiers here at home in case of an invasion. I will contact King Airyglyph today and discuss sending a reconnaissance party to better ascertain the situation.  As for Nel I beleive she can take care of herself.

"Fine, I understand.", Fayt said as he began making his way to the door.

"Whatever are you planning to do?", Laaselle said behind Fayt in a rather nervous tone. "Did the Queen not say it would be taken care of?"

"I'm still going after her. I can't let her walk into some hell hole that did _that_ to her.", Fayt said as he pointed to Susan lying on the bed.

"That's preposterous!!!", Laaselle protested louder than was deemed necessary given the small room they were in. "Such rash heroics are uncalled for, I must insist.....

The look Fayt gave him not only stopped what he was saying, but actually made him take an involuntary step back. "I'm _going_ to help her, I would like your help, but if not than so be it."

"Just don't try to stop me." Fayt then left the room in all but a run.

* * *

Fayt flew into his room to grab necessities, which he figured he needed little of at the moment. Speed was the key here as Nel was totally oblivious to the danger she was walking into so he had to get to her as fast as possible. She would be taking her time to get to Greeton due to the lack of any urgency so he felt confident he could get to her before she found out the hard way. As he was grabbing the empty water jug he couldn't help but think....

_Why......why does this have to happen again? Why, damn it, why?!?!_

He was so focused on his thoughts he nearly bumped into the two individuals who had walked into his room. Fayt looked up to find two women whom he recognized instantly. Tynaave and Farleen, Nel's closest subordinates, whose devotion had nearly gotten both killed on several occasions. Still their sense of duty was second only to Nel's and were one of the few people Fayt trusted with his life.

The stern looks on their faces told Fayt what they were going to say before Tynaave said, "We heard about Lady Nel, Fayt."

"And we're going with you.", Farleen finished.

Fayt wanted to initially object, but the objection never left his throat. He knew the two women owed much to Nel for she practically risked life and limb in a single-handed attempt to rescue them from execution at the Kirlsa Training Facility. They indeed had every right, more so than Fayt really, to want to come.

"Well hurry up we need to get a move on _fast." _Fayt said. "Don't bother with a carriage, we'll need to single up on horseback to make for faster speed."

"Right." Tynaave said, but before she left with Farleen she added, "Fayt are you sure you can...."

Fayt waved her off, "You don't need worry, I got the riding part nailed down pretty good. At least enough for a straight shot to Greeton."

Tynaave nodded without objection and turned to leave herself. Fayt could understand her concerns though. The last time she saw him ride he had somehow managed to let a tree branch knock him off the horse. But, he had worked on it at least two hours a day since then and felt confident he had mastered the basics. He didn't care either way for those mistakes were _not _going to plague him on this trip. _That_ he promised himself.

After packing a sufficient amount of bread into his bag he reached by the nightstand and grabbed his sword. He unsheathed it for a moment and took a good look at it. It was the same sword the replicator aboard the escape pod on the Helre had created for him. Of course it was no longer the same blade for he had paid Boyd, the best blacksmith in all of Aquaria, to refine it. Though his price of 100,000 Fol was rather extreme, Fayt could not argue with the quality. The once simple sword was two inches longer, much sharper than before, and had a polish to it that made Fayt go blind if he put it against the sunlight.  The large-set blacksmith had told him he had fused his sword with a rare metal called Orichalcum.  He said this material would make even the dullest swords that of legendary quality, which was why he charged so much for it.  After the careful inspection Fayt re-sheathed the sword and hooked it behind his lower hip. Thinking he had everything he was going to need Fayt left his room.

The horse stables next to Aquios Castle were quite massive. Each of the 4 stables were one-hundred fifty yards in length with a horse in every notch covering the entire length. As Fayt rushed into the nearest one the strong smell of horse manure filled his lungs, but he had gotten used to that in his daily rides. He choose a tan colored young male that was the forth one in on the right because he seemed to have the most vitality (or probably because he fell of this horse the least) and began to set the saddle onto his back. As Fayt was doing this he could not help but wonder at Lasselle's objections to his leaving. Of course he always seemed to give his objections when the Queen made a decision, but Fayt had figured it was just a means to keep the Queen from doing anything rash by being that voice on the opposite side of the fence.

Yet.....

His objections seemed, this time, way overboard when compared to his usual tirades. His voice was giving way to panic and he sounded more nervous than he should have. Plus why should he care about what Fayt alone did because he certainly did not represent the Aquaria military and so his actions would not reflect the country as a whole. It was something Fayt would have to ask him face to face about when this whole mess was dealt with.

The sounds of Aquios proper, as Fayt was galloping through the city, were the same as when he first stepped foot here. The town was very noisy only not in the sense of a bustling metropolis. The intricate sculptures of the various God's and the fierce determination on the faces of the people who came here for their pilgrimages to worship those very God's spoke volumes of this city. The atmosphere that it created gave people hope when they had none. Even when a war was ravaging their countryside people would come here and find a sense of peace and calm.....perhaps that is what truly motivated so many to give their lives for it.

Fayt gave his horse a quick tap and began a faster gallop through the main bridge that lead to the city gates. At the entrance he found Tynaave and Farleen waiting for him, saddled up on their own horses. Nothing needed to be said. Fayt gave each woman a distinct nod and with a swift kick into the side of his horse he was racing full speed to the city of Peterny with the two women following right behind.

* * *

It was at this point Nel truly began to worry.

After talking to her contacts in Peterny this morning they reported that the emissaries had not passed through the town since they headed toward Greeton a few days ago. Nel knew that the emissaries were not traveling incognito. In fact they were anything but conspicuous, and rightfully so, for the Queen had ordered the nation's colors raised high and for the escorts to assume a parade formation. This was no incursion, but an attempt by Queen Aquaria to establish good relations, or in fact relations at all, with the Kingdom of Greeton.

That didn't have Nel worried initially because her contact had also reported that a violent storm had swept the Irisa Fields region leading into Greeton the past few days so it was still possible that had delayed them. Yet as Nel was steadily galloping on her white mare she noticed that the skies were definitely clearing up and that while it was rather humid it would certainly not inhibit travel. She could see very clearly the first mountain top that indicated the border with Greeton which told her she was at least three quarters of the way there by now. Yet as close as she was she had expected to have at least ran into the emissaries as they were on their way. If anything had delayed them it would have been the weather, but now that was no longer a factor so the question was...why have they not returned?

Deciding she would rather walk for a little while she dismounted and grabbed her horse by the reins and continued on foot. She was still wondering what could have held them up when, after she got over a small hump in the field, she saw in the distance.....very minute, but there was a distinct ragged area of grass a few hundred meters away. As she walked over to it the sight confirmed her instincts that it was indeed a burned piece of ground and from the looks of it spread out over a fifty foot radius. Looking around the area she saw various pieces of wood, too small to consider, and quite frankly not much else but burnt grass. Scratching her head, wondering if someone had set something out here to burn as a means of disposal she noticed the edge of a larger piece of wood that was partially hidden from view in a mass of thick grass. Nel grabbed it to find that was it least two feet in length and was pretty much scorched.

As she flipped it over she noticed something engraved into the wood and immediately dropped it and snatched out one of her swords. She gave the area around her a quick scan as she walked slowly back to the horse. She knew that symbol....

It was the royal crest of Aquaria!

"_Hmph", _she thought to herself, _"Relations....yeah we got some relations all right."_

As she got to her horse she realized there was no ambush this time, no soldiers jumping out of the tall grass nor a legion of dragons bearing down on her. As the initial adrenaline started to fade she realized that there would be no reaction because when they took out the carriage they went to a lot of trouble to make sure no one would find out who was attacked. There were no bodies and no equipment was scattered about.....in fact the only reason she found that piece of wood was because whoever did the clean-up did not notice it in that thick patch of grass.

The question now was what to do. Her initial thought was to turn around and raise the alarm at home. But, what was she going to say...they were hostile and that's it? She couldn't just go back and give the Queen some half story....no that was not her job. Her best course of action would be to sneak past whatever border patrols Greeton had and try to discern what kind of military forces may be being brought to bear. Besides if Greeton was getting ready for an invasion they would not have gone to the trouble of covering this attack up. They would have simply marched right past the carriage and knocked, rather harshly, on Peterny's door. So Nel figured whatever was going to happen, Greeton was not ready to pull it off yet so the least she could do was gather as much intelligence as she could so she could give the Queen a better report of the situation.

Most people would not take this course of action and in fact would consider it rash, but as leader of the Secret Legion this is what she has been training soldiers for. If she ended up getting killed everyone would accept the fact she was merely doing her job.

_He wouldn't and you know it!!!!!  _Nel's thoughts yelled out.

Mounting her horse once more she made a slight deviation from the path and made her way to Greeton......

To find how exactly what was going on there and what it was they were trying so hard to hide.

* * *

"Things sure got more lively around here didn't it?" Fayt asked as he tried his best not to knock down anyone consisting of this wave of humanity that was walking along the streets of Peterny.

Tynaave looked over to Fayt, "Yes, with the peace between Airyglyph and Aquaria now official the commerce from the mountains has begun to flow in Peterny."

"Yeah, its crazy here now...day and night the people just keep coming.", Farleen added.

"I can imagine.", Fayt said. Yup, now with all three kingdoms of Aquaria, Airyglyph, and the Samnite Republic in a state of peace Peterny is now truly a crossroads that everyone will be coming through now.

As they slowly made their way to the town square they passed several alleyways that lead into the lower district homes and Fayt caught sight of a very familiar one.....

The way that lead to Ameena's house.

The young girl who looked and sounded just like Sophia was a flower girl in Peterny when Fayt met her. He had tried desperately to help her with her one wish, that being to reunite were her best friend Dion who had been the Chief Developer of the Runeological Weapon Research Facility in Aquaria. Part of him felt the need to do so because of his own desire to find his friend Sophia, but mainly because he wanted to help bring happiness to lovers lost in the middle of all that death he was willingly taking apart of.

Unfortunately it never happened, they both died in each other's arms in a small room in Aquios Castle. Ameena of her lung illness and Dion of the mortal wounds he sustained in battle. In fact three people died in that room and the third was the child known as Fayt Leingod. It was then he finally realized how unfair and vicious life could be. All this compounded by the fact that their deaths were the direct and indirect result of the Vendeeni who had specifically came to Elicoor II to capture him. With his childhood lying dead in the chair next to them Fayt knew that in order to survive, it was time to finally grow up. He knew to expect the worst when they finally caught up with Nel, but he was going to make sure that that didn't happen this time....

He _had _to.

Pushing the thought out of his head they had finally reached the closed gate that would lead them to the section of the Irisa Fields that went in the direction of Greeton.

There were two guards standing watch by the thirty foot tall gate and the one to the left, a rather hefty individual who wore even heftier armor, trudged slowly over to the left side of Fayt's horse and said, "What is it you want?"

"We need to get through this gate. We need to make out way to Greeton." Fayt said.

The guard snorted rather loudly, "The only ones allowed through are the ones with diplomatic passes. No exceptions either. The mayor already busted our chops when that little red-head snuck through here while we were on our shift change."

_"He must mean Nel.", _Fayt thought

"So, do you have a pass or do I have to toss you on the street?", The guard said in a rather harsh tone.

"I'm afraid we don't, but I implore you...it involves the emissaries that passed through here a few days ago, they may be in grave danger." Fayt pleaded.

"Not my problem buddy.", The guard dismissed him. "If you talk to the mayor about it he might be willing to make an exception if he is in a good mood. Otherwise scram!"

There was a time when Fayt would have turned around and did just what he suggested. He would have bartered with the mayor about getting through the gate and he would undoubtedly be required to do some "favor" that he must do to get permission to pass.....

_But Nel...._

No, he was not going to let the harsh realities of life play its games with Nel and he sure as hell was not going to waste his time here parlaying with some overweight guard.

Fayt nudged his horse quickly forward, catching the soldier off-guard, and knocked him to the ground. His companion rather clumsily tried to poke at him with his pole-arm, but a flash of Fayt's sword severed the bladed portion off and as the guard was staring dumbfounded at his new pole-_stick _Farleen, from her horse, gave him a swift kick in the back of the head giving him an early break for the day.

Fayt said nothing else, but instead pointed the tip of his sword toward the obese guard, the fire in his eyes saying....

_Open this door or die. _

The guard, now crying rather openly, crawled to the release mechanism and pulled the lever. He was then running away as fast as all that weight could physically move. The gate slowly, but surely parted open. The guard was probably going to complain to his boss.....let him....Fayt didn't care about anything else except the path in front of him.

Letting out a cry, he kicked his horse forward and the three of them made their way to Greeton.

It was now a race.

* * *

The sword flashed several times and after it had stopped the three poles that were standing upright fell apart at their halfway mark.

The sword flashed one more and another long gauge decorated a wall that looked like some rock chipper had gone insane.

The arm that was once real, but now a weapon came down along the chest of a soldier that was made of cloth and the cotton insides flew in all directions.

_Not fast enough...._ Albel Nox, former Captain of the Black Brigade and also known as Albel the Wicked, thought to himself as he let loose the fury of the Crimson Scrouge across the slash-ridden wall.

_I refuse to let things stand. _Albel let out a loud cry as he took to the air and slashed the heads off two dummies that were mounted on wooden horse replicas.

He stood there a moment breathing very heavily. He had been at it for almost three hours and his body was telling him it was time to stop, but he would not have it.

Albel looked into the air. "No....never....I will...never...STOP!!!"

_To what end?_ A deep voice spoke in Albel's heart.

Looking down at the Crimson Scourge, Albel only stood there for but a moment before he cried out...

"I WON'T LOSE TO HIM!!!!" He then exclaimed his point by arcing his blazing sword across the four training posts behind him, bringing them all down at once.

Despite the trials he went through with those maggots to rid themselves of that annoying Creator, Albel could never accept the taste of utter defeat. They had come looking for him....he who had once proclaimed to be their enemy and asked for his help. He then challenged Fayt to a duel of wits....a duel in which Albel was humiliated. In his attempt to find out what it was that drove this man he ventured with him and his companions and to the far away worlds they went to. After it was all said and done Albel had came no closer to figuring out the answer than he had when he first met Fayt at this very spot in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

It was the paradox that drove him to near insanity. For Albel the strong were strong and the weak were crushed like the worms they were. But this Fayt....he had seemed so weak....so caught up in his own little idealistic dream world. Yet he possessed a strength like no other. Where did that strength come from? How could he do the things he could do with such a pathetic view on life?

Albel let out another cry as he threw the Crimson Scourge like a bullet across the Kirlsa Training Facility arena and hit center mass the last unscathed dummy. The blade had no trouble piercing all the way through.

The sound of footsteps broke Albel from his zone and instead his thoughts were replaced with annoyance.

_Don't these damned fools ever listen?"_

He turned around and saw standing there, a silouette of fear for he was shaking quite literally, one of the clerks that collected the various messages received by the facility. He couldn't remember the fool's name and could quite frankly care less. He must have something to tell him if he risked disturbing him while he was training.

He walked up to the short man, drilling his deep red eyes into him and in a voice filled with menace said. "You must have a very good reason to defy my orders and come up here when specifically told not too.....at least I _hope_ you do."

The man took a half-step forward and in a very broken voice said, "A m-m-message for you sir....from A-A-Aquaria." His voice become more controlled now...at least he wasn't totally spineless. "It came via a messenger pigeon."

Albel stared at the folded slip of paper for a moment and snatched it so fast the messenger took an involuntary step backwards. He said nothing for the next minute, with the overly nervous clerk waiting for some kind of explosion from his commanding officer.

That is why when a small chuckle escaped his Captain's lips he was very surprised and asked, "Sir...what is so funny?"

Instead of a reply Albel broke out in hysterical laughter, flinging his head high into the air, and bellowing very loudly. The messenger decided to keep his trap shut at this point.

Albel walked over to where the Crimson Scourge was and pulled it free from the training dummy. He then walked past the clerk and would have continued past had the clerk not asked, "Sir, is it a dire matter?"

Albel halted, but did not turn his back. "It looks like things won't be so boring after all.", Albel continued to walk to the entrance of the facility and tossed the message over his back.

"Shall I inform Commander Adray of the matter sir?" The clerk said as he grabbed the slip of paper off the ground.

Albel did not even bother to stop as he replied, "Go ahead and tell that muscle brained idiot. I don't really give a damn." Albel left no room for reply as he turned the corner and left the arena. He did not listen to anyone as he walked through the facility, but he could not ignore the voice, that was not his own, that kept repeating to him in his heart....

_To what end....._

_To what end....._

_To what end?_

_**To be Continued......**_


End file.
